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The EPA, FDA and OSHA have each produced guidance, sometimes consistent, sometimes not. This page will help the small food business owner, such as a
restaurant, retail food store, pick-up and delivery services protect employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key issues addressed below are:
Managing Employee Health (Including Contracted Workers)
- Instruct employees with symptoms associated with COVID-19 to report them to their supervisors. Instruct sick employees to stay home and
to follow the CDC's
What
to do if you are sick with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Consult with the local health department for additional guidance.
- If an employee is sick at work, send them home immediately.
Clean
and disinfect surfaces in their workspace. Others at the facility with close contact (i.e., within 6 feet) of the employee
during this time should be considered exposed.
- Instruct employees who are well, but know they have been exposed to COVID-19, to notify their supervisor and follow CDC-recommended
precautions (see below).
- Inform fellow employees of their possible exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, if an employee is confirmed to have COVID-19, while
maintaining confidentiality.
- Implement workplace controls to reduce transmission among employees, such as those described below that are included in
CDC's
Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected
or Confirmed COVID-19.
- Employers - Pre-screen (e.g., take temperature and assess symptoms prior to starting work).
- Employers - Disinfect and clean work spaces and equipment, and consider more frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces.
- Employees - Regularly self-monitor (e.g., take temperature and assess
symptoms
of coronavirus).
- Employees - Wear a mask or face covering.
- Employees - Practice social distancing and stay at least 6 feet from other people whenever possible.
- For additional information when employees may have been exposed to COVID-19, refer to CDC's
CDC's
Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected
or Confirmed COVID-19.
- For additional information on employee health and hygiene and recommendations to help prevent worker transmission of foodborne illness,
refer to
FDA's
Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook.
- If FDA recommendations differ from CDC's regarding employee health and COVID-19, follow CDC.
- For returning previously sick employees to work, refer to
CDC's
Guidance for Discontinuation of Home Isolation for Persons with COVID-19.
- Follow
CDC and
FDA information
on PPE (i.e., gloves, face masks/coverings, and protective gear).
- Frequently review CDC's
CDC's
Interim Guidance for Business and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019.
- Understand risk at the workplace - use
OSHA's
Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19.
Personal Hygiene for Employees
- Emphasize effective hand hygiene including washing hands for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and
after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Always wash hands with soap and water. If soap and water are not readily available, then use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least
60% alcohol and avoid working with unwrapped or exposed foods.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Use gloves to avoid direct bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods.
- Before preparing or eating food, always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds for general food safety.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash hands after.
Managing Operations in a Foodservice Establishment or Retail Food Store
Continue to follow established food safety protocols and best practices for retail food establishments and important COVID-19 recommendations,
including the following:
- Follow the 4 key steps to food safety: Always -
Clean,
Separate, Cook, and Chill.
- Wash, rinse, and sanitize food contact surfaces dishware, utensils, food preparation surfaces, and beverage equipment after use.
- Frequently disinfect surfaces repeatedly touched by employees or customers such as door knobs, equipment handles, check-out counters,
and grocery cart handles, etc.
- Frequently clean and disinfect floors, counters, and other facility access areas using
EPA-registered
disinfectants.
- Prepare and use sanitizers according to label instructions.
- When changing your normal food preparation procedures, service, delivery functions, or making staffing changes, apply procedures that
ensure:
- Cooked foods reach the proper internal temperatures prior to service or cooling.
- Hot foods are cooled rapidly for later use � check temperatures of foods being cooled in refrigerators or by rapid cooling
techniques such as ice baths and cooling wands.
- The time foods being stored, displayed, or delivered are held in the danger zone (between 41�F and 135�F) is minimized.
- Proper training for food employees with new or altered duties and that they apply the training according to established procedures.
- Help customers maintain good infection control and social distancing by:
- Discontinuing operations, such as salad bars, buffets, and beverage service stations that require customers to use common utensils
or dispensers.
- Finding ways to encourage spacing between customers while in line for service or check out in accordance with the applicable State
or local requirements.
- Discouraging customers from bringing pets - except service
animals - into stores or waiting areas.
- Continue to use sanitizers and disinfectants for their designed purposes.
- Verify that your ware-washing machines are operating at the required wash and rinse temperatures and with the appropriate detergents and
sanitizers.
- Remember that hot water can be used in place of chemicals to sanitize equipment and utensils in manual ware-washing machines.
- If you donate food to food recovery or charitable organizations, check for State and local guidelines. You can also find further
information at Conference
for Food ProtectionExternal
Link Disclaimer.
Managing Food Pick-Up and Delivery
- Observe established food safety practices for time/temp control, preventing cross contamination, cleaning hands, no sick workers, and
storage of food, etc.
- Have employees wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after
blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing, or after touching high touch surfaces, e.g., doorknobs, and doorbells.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap
and water if hands are visibly dirty. See, CDC's
How
to Protect Yourself & Others.
- Increase the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces such as counter tops and touch pads and within the vehicle, by
wiping down surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Make sure to read the label and follow manufacturer's instructions on use.
- Establish designated pick-up zones for customers to help maintain social distancing.
- Practice social distancing when delivering food, e.g., offering "no touch" deliveries and sending text alerts or calling when deliveries
have arrived.
- Conduct an evaluation of your facility to identify and apply operational changes in order to maintain social distancing if offering
take-out/carry-out option by maintaining a 6-foot distance from others, when possible.
- Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold by storing in appropriate transport vessels.
- Keep cold foods cold by keeping enough coolant materials, e.g., gel packs.
- Keep hot foods hot by ensuring insulated cases are properly functioning.
- Keep foods separated to avoid cross contamination, e.g., keeping raw foods separated from cooked and ready-to-eat foods.
- Ensure that any wrapping and packaging used for food transport is done so that contamination of the food is prevented.
- Routinely clean and sanitize coolers and insulated bags used to deliver foods.
Additional Resources and references
Factsheets
Guidance
For additional resources, see
Food
Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
